Bat Signal Nights
by FabIsHere
Summary: Barbara used to go out with her father to turn on the Bat Signal on those lucky nights. She always hoped to catch even the smallest glimpse of her undying crush and his mentor, so when she finally meets her idol, she goes a little speechless. (It's a short drabble of Barbara Gordon before she became Batgirl and of her little crush on the Boy Wonder.)


Barbara would never admit this to anyone, but before she became Batgirl, she would stand outside waiting in the shadows with her father. She would see him turn on the Bat Signal and stand there with her hands thrust down in her soft pockets, fidgeting to see even the smallest sight of Gotham's dark knight.

Most of all, she waited to see a sight of the Dark Knight's companion, that short and agile boy about her age who ran around in tights performing impressive pirouettes that she would train herself to be able to make one day, too.

Barbara never really told her father about her light crush on the Boy Wonder, but she suspected he knew for every time that he told her that he was going to turn on the Bat Signal and that she could come with, she would shriek in delight and be jumpy all the way to the balcony where the ginormous lantern stood with a proud bat on it's chest. Barbara would keep looking out for the sight of her two heroes and tell her father how she wanted to meet them, especially Robin.

They would both just stand there in silence, basking at the sight of the thousands and millions of lights adorning the city below and above them. Sometimes, her father would buy her a hot chocolate in winter or an ice cream in summer so she would not embarrass herself by giving away more details on her undying love for the Dark Squire or for her not to rant like a blabbering monkey.

She still talked all the same, but by having her mouth occupied by a sweet treat, she would often keep quiet for a few minutes that gave Commissioner Gordon some peace.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

One particularly chilly autumn night, Barbara sat on her bed, doing the very easy science homework that her teacher had assigned for her classroom. She had been talking to Dick that night, but he had hurriedly dropped the call they had, nothing out of the ordinary, really. He always did that, something that Barbara had learned to live with.

"Barbara, I'm going to turn on the Bat tonight!" Her father called out from outside her bedroom door. Barbara jumped up from her seat, forgetting her homework at once, and moved on to her wardrobe to put on a long-sleeved shirt for a day so cold.

They left their apartment building together, Barbara grabbing a hold of her father's keys and rolling them between her fingers rapidly, a permanent smile on her face. She looked up at the night sky, noticing with a start how crisp the air was and how clear the heavens looked. She thought she had caught sight of a swift shadow passing from one building to the other, but shrugged it off because as soon as it came it was gone.

The duo arrived at the police station shortly after they left their home so they didn't feel too cold, but as soon as they stepped foot on the balcony all their senses froze, and Barbara could only wonder how Batman and Robin were going to fight crime with this much cold clipping at their flushed faces.

Commissioner Gordon turned on the light, and the all-too familiar bat glided up, obscuring the shape of a moving cloud.

Father and daughter waited and waited for what seemed like an hour, but only was a few minutes until they heard a disturbing cackle just to their right, they turned around to see Gotham's vigilantes standing on the balcony floor with the two civilians. Barbara had a sudden urge to scream out in pure and utter delight, her _idols_ were here!

Batman nodded in Barbara's direction, with that unnerving stare that she was glad that it was diverted to her father after a few seconds. The two adults talked about the sudden breakout in Arkham and how many villains had gotten out. While Commissioner Gordon and Batman talked quietly, Barbara stood by her father and Robin stood by his father figure, both observing each other.

Robin seemed to find her amusing because he was smirking at her with that 'made to swoon at' mischievous smile that she knew most girls at school reverenced and had many pictured of. Barbara could only wave at him shyly, but he waved back at her, with a genuine grin in his lips now, so she felt more at ease with his presence.

"I'll do what I can, Batman."

With that final word from her father, Barbara watched in awe as Batman and Robin took their cue to leave and used their grappling hooks to levitate them from the ground.

Of course, Dick couldn't leave his best friend in a somewhat embarrassing silence that told him that Barbara liked his alter ego in a more than admiring way, so he kissed her hand for a very short moment before leaving.

He knew he would be hearing about this tomorrow at school.


End file.
